Two new theme restaurants, the first of a national franchise chain, will be opening their doors in Manhattan this summer: the HipHop SodaShops in Harlem and Union Square.

H3 Enterprises, the Manhattan-based parent company that owns the restaurants and sells other hip-hop themed products, has invested more than a million dollars and expects to finalize leases at the two properties by the middle of next month.

The restaurants are slated to open their doors in two months although the 3,500-square foot Union Square location is likely to open first as the space will need less renovation work, according to a company spokeswoman.

The 2,500-square foot Harlem restaurant, which is to be located on 125th Street less than a block from the Apollo, will be the flagship location, and rapper Juelz Santana, a Harlem native, will be one of the restaurant's main investors along with NBA star Ben Gordon.

HipHop SodaShop boasts a menu of rap-inspired healthy fast-food such as "MC's Hammajamma," a ham and cheese "rap" laced with strawberry jam, "Ja Rula's Tuna Meltdown" and "Snoop's drop it like it's Hot Dogg." Salads, called "hi-greens," are more marijuana-influenced with names like "Toast'd Thai."

Diners will be able to bite into their “Fat Joe” potato salads while listening to a soundtrack of blaring rap music. They'll also be able to shop for hip-hop merchandise and play video games, and pay for it all on special H3 stored cash cards.

"We're building a real home for the hip-hop generation complete with all the things we love to do," said Mr. Santana in a statement.

H3 plans to roll out in several other locations over the next few months, including Chicago, Las Vegas, Tampa, Jacksonville and Orlando.

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